Automatic winding machine

ABSTRACT

Automatic winding machine for large-volume supply coils that are delivered by a transporting device to respective winding stations of the machine whereat respective means for unwinding the supply coils are located includes a coil loading carriage drivable past the winding stations. The coil loading carriage has both conveyor means for transferring supply coils from the transporting device to the coil unwinding means of the respective winding stations, as well as make-ready means for readying incompletely unwound supply coils to immediately continue the unwinding operation.

United States Patent Raasch 1 Oct. 21, 1975 [54] AUTOMATIC WINDINGMACHINE 3,421,705 1/1969 Benedict 242/355 R 3,480,128 11/1969 Brouwer etal. 242/355 R X [75] Raasd" Rheydli Germany 3,774,859 11/1973 Brouwer etal. 242/355 R [73] Assignee: W. Schlafhorst & Co.,

Maschinentabrik, Primary ExaminerStanley N. Gilreath M fl efl-G flermany Attorney, Agent, or FirmHerbert L. Lerner [22] Filed: June 25,1973 1211 Appl. No.: 373,081 [571 ABSTRACT Automatic winding machine forlarge-volume supply [30] Foreign Appficafion Priority Data coils thatare delivered by a transporting device to re- June 23 1972 German 223080spective winding stations of the machine whereat rey spective means forunwinding the supply coils are 10- [52] U 8 Cl 242/35 5 242/35 5 A catedincludes a coil loading carriage drivable past the [5H "k 54722 windingstations. The coil loading carriage has both B65H 67/02 conveyor meansfor transferring supply coils from the [58] Field of Search 242/35 5 R35 5 A 35 6 R transporting device to the coil unwinding means of therespective winding stations, as well as make-ready [56] References Citedmeans for readying incompletely unwound supply UNITED STATES PATENTScoils to immediately continue the unwinding operation. 3,279,710 10/1966Raasch 242/355 R 3,358,940 12/1967 Beckwith, Jr. et a1. 242/355 R 9Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 3,368,766 2/1968 Livingston 242/355 R U.S.Patent 0a. 21, 1975 Sheet 2 of5 3,913,853

FIG. 2

US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 3 of5 3,913,853

US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 4 015 3,913,853

FIG!

141 I 120 121 142 121 123- i 137 136 124 139 138 .U 32 9 108 AUTOMATICWINDING MACHINE The invention relates to an automatic winding machinefor large-volume supply coils that are to be unwound, and moreparticularly to such a machine wherein the supply coils are delivered bya transporting device to respective winding stations of the machine andare handled by a loading carriage that travels past the windingstations.

Machines of the foregoing general type have as their function therewinding of large-volume supply coils, such as, for example,cross-wound coils or cheeses of OE spinning machines, colored coils orthe like, so that they may be processed further. The supplying of theindividual winding stations with supply coils should be automatic tounburden the servicing personnel and to minimize the down time duringthe coil supplying and loading operation.

In the German published, non-prosecuted patent application DOS No.2,050,039 there has been disclosed a method and device, the use of whichpermits the load ing of automatic winding machines of the type wherein amultiplicity of winding spindles are driven past a stationary readying,loading and knotting device. The method described in the aforementionedGerman published application and the device for carrying out the methodare not applicable, however, for automatic winding machines wherein thewinding stations are stationary.

Furthermore, in the German published, nonprosecuted patent applicationDOS No. 2 019 370, there has been disclosed a device for loadingspindles of textile machines wherein, by means of grippers or clamps,empty coil cores are removed, and largevolume coils are taken from asupply located above the machine and stuck onto the spindles. Thisheretofore known device is specially suited, however, for loadingspindles of double twist-spinning machines and takes care of one spindleafter the other, in succession, much like heretofore known types ofdoffers. Such a device is not suited for automatic winding machinesbecause the individual winding station of automatic winding machinesoperate fully independently of one another, and their unwinding devicerequire new supply coils at the most different times.

[t is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an automaticwinding machine with improved means for loading the supply coilunwinding positioning device thereof with large-volume supply coilswhile using a loading carriage that travels along the machine so as tosignificantly increase the production of the automatic winding machine.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided inaccordance with the invention an automatic winding machine forlarge-volume supply coils that are delivered by a transporting device torespective winding stations of the machine whereat respective means forunwinding the supply coils are located, a coil loading carriage drivablepast the winding stations, the coil loading carriage comprising bothconveyor means for transferring supply coils from the transportingdevice to the coil unwinding means of the respective winding stations,as well as make-ready means for readying incompletely unwound supplycoils to immediately continue the unwinding operation. In accordancewith other features of the invention, the conveyor means comprises areceiving member, such as a sliding trough, for example, for directlyreceiving the supply coils from the transporting device.

The loading carriage is capable of traveling past a multiplicity ofwinding stations and represents the connecting link between the supplycoils driven past by the transporting device above the winding stations,and the supply coil unwinding positioning device of an automatic windingmachine that are provided with coil holders on which the supply coilsare received. Every time that the supply coil unwinding positioningdevice has advanced an incompletely unwound supply coil or an empty coilcore out of the unwinding position thereof and into the ejectionposition, a signal is emitted that causes the loading carriage to haltas it passes the respective winding station and to become actuated.Since the removal and transporting away of cores that are still woundpresent difficulties because of the great differences in diameter thathave to be overcome and are, furthermore, uneconomical, it is desirableto leave an incompletely unwound supply coil in the respective supplycoil unwinding positioning device to re-knot it and to further unwind ituntil it has been completely unwound.

In order to feed anew such a remainder coil to the winding process, inaccordance with a further feature of the invention, the make-ready meansis constructed for operating upon a supply coil located in apredetermined position in the coil unwinding means of the respectivewinding stations. In accordance with an especially advantageous featureof the invention, when the coil unwinding means of the respectivewinding stations have means for holding in ejection position a supplycoil that has been at least partially unwound by the coil unwindingmeans, the loading carriage is provided with remainder sensing means fordetermining the winding condition of i.e., the amount of wound threadstill remaining on, the supply coil in the ejection position of therespective coil unwinding means. By means of the remainder sensor, theloading carriage determines if an empty core or an incompletely unwoundsupply coil is located in the ejection position. If the remainder sensordetermines the core is still wound, this wound core is swung intomade-ready position and, thereafter, the broken thread end is searchedfor and then laid out at the winding station. In accordance with anadditional feature of the invention, the loading carriage is providedwith suction nozzle means for seeking the starting end of the threadcarried by the supply coil that is located in the made-ready position ofthe respective coil unwinding means. In accordance with yet anotherfeature of the invention, the loading carriage includes thread liftingmeans for laying out the thread starting end of the supply coil in themade-ready position so that it can be tied to the thread end of thetake-up coil at the respective winding station. It is believed to beclear in view of the foregoing that a supply coil thus is always madeready for the unwinding operation within a winding station and notwithin the traveling loading carriage, and that the costly components ofthe readying device does not have to be at each winding station butrather only at one place, on the loading carriage.

[f the remainder sensor has established, however, that the signal whichcauses the loading carriage to stop is attributed to a supply coil thathas been emptied of its winding, the clamping members of the coil holderof the respective supply coil unwinding positioning device will then bereleased and the empty coil core removed.

Therefore. in accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention,the loading carriage is provided with pressure lever means mountedthereon for actuating the coil holder means to eject empty coil coresremaining after the respective supply coils have been unwound.

As mentioned hereinbefore, the conveyor means on the loading carriagefor transferring the supply coils to winding stations comprise areceiving member that may be constructed as a sliding trough. Inaccordance with yet another feature of the invention, the sliding troughis horizontally and vertically displaceable. Since the loading carriageand the transporting device are movable in the same as well as oppositedirection, care must be taken that the loading carriage always finds anew supply coil, when required. This is achievable in accordance withanother feature of the invention wherein the loading carriage isprovided with photo electric means for determining the presence of asupply coil to be transferred by the loading carriage from thetransporting device to the coil unwinding means of the respectivewinding station. Further in accordance with the invention, thetransporting devive is provided with registry means for the presence ofasupply coil. Instead of a photo electric means, obviously alsomechanical sensing devices can be used.

Since the unwinding time of large-volume supply coils is correspondinglylong, while the time for the individual activities of the loadingcarriage is very short. however, relative thereto, a very large numberof winding stations can be associated with one loading carriage. Withautomatic winding machines having stationary winding stations,frequently fifty winding stations may be assembled in one machine. Theloading carriage is therefore definitely in a position to service manyof such machines with, for example, a total of 100 to 200 or even morewinding stations. It is accordingly advantageous if the path of theloading carriage along the winding machines is laid out so that, aftertraveling past all of the machines, a predetermined departure point isreached.

In the case where a pivoting or swiveling operation of the supply coilunwinding positioning device is released by a respective winding stationbefore the loading carriage or even a member of the servicing personnelhas brought a supply coil into the madeready position, the supply coilunwinding positioning device can be provided with a latching or boltingdevice which blocks the pivoting operation until the loading carriage orthe servicing personnel release the latching or bolting device by layingout the thread starting end in readiness.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the inventionare set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodiedin automatic winding machine, it is nevertheless not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made therein without departing from the spirit of theinvention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however,together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be bestunderstood from the following description of specific embodiments whenread in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a diagrammatic sectional view of an automatic winding machinewith an unwinding device and empty core conveyor belt wherein one supplycoil is shown in unwinding position and another in madeready position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of the automatic winding machine witha carriage for loading coils therein that are to be unwound, one of thesupply coils being shown in unwinding position and an empty coil core orspool shown in ejection position;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the loading carriage as seen from therear of the winding machine i.e., in a direction from the left-hand tothe right-hand side of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the loading carriage i.e., a viewfrom the opposite side of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a diagram of the movements of various components of theloading carriage.

Referring now to the drawing and first, particularly, to FIG. I thereof,there is shown therein an automatic winding machine having a lateralwall 1 with a mounting tube 2 on which a multiplicity of windingstations 3 are threadedly secured. A traveling knotting device 5 ismounted for reciprocating movement in a conventional manner on a supporttube 4 also extending from the lateral wall 1. A support frame 6 is alsoprovided on the lateral wall 1 and carries a transport device 7 that isconstructed as a circular or endless conveyer such as a chain conveyor,and can also be installed for use with several machines. Guides 47 inthe conveyer device 7 are assembled with the runways 8 of a conventionalblow-off device 9 and bus bars or live rails 10 for a coil loadingcarriage 70, to be described hereinafter with respect to FIGS. 2, 3 and4, together with the support frame 6 thereof. Supply coils l 1 that areto be unwound are stuck on hooks 12 that are displaced in the guides 47along the winding machine. By means of the aforedescribed construction,monitoring of and possibly necessary engagement with the wind-up coil 14as well as with the coil core magazine 13 is not hampered. A supply coilunwinding positioning device 16 located in the vicinity of the base ofthe machine corresponds to a device heretofore disclosed in applicationSer. No. 244,445 of .l. Rohner et al, filed Apr. 17, 1972 and assignedto the same assignee as that of the instant application, and, in theview of FIG. 1, has a supply coil 11' in suitable unwinding position 17and another supply coil II" in made-ready position 22 for subsequentmovement to the unwinding position 17. Before a supply coil 11" has beenstuck onto the coil holder 20 by the coil supply carriage 70, the coilholder 20 assumes the ejection position 24 shown in pattern after havingbeen in the unwinding position 17. The coil holder 20 is, respectively,brought, into the ejection position 24 with an empty coil core 25 when,in an exchange ope ration, a supply coil 11" is swung from themade-ready position 22 thereof into the unwinding position 17. In theejection position 24, an empty core 25 is able to be removed especiallyeasily because it slides downwardly when the clamping elements of thecoil holder 20 are loosened. Such a coil holder can be of the typedesclosed in application Ser. No. 361,461, filed May I8, 1973, of whichapplicant is one of the coinventors. In such a construction of the coilholder, by applying pres sure in direction of the arrow 26 on the pin27, the

.clamping elements are loosened. The supply coil unwinding positioningdevice 16 shown in FIG. 1 differs from the previously disclosed deviceof the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 244,445 solely bythe fact that the lay-out member 19 is doublearmed. Each coil holder 20can thus occupy the unwinding position 17 and two further positions,namely the ejection position 24 and the made-ready position 22, theejection position 24, also at the exchange of a not yet fully unwoundsupply coil 1 1 from the unwinding postion 17, succeeding to themade-ready position 22.

The coil holders 20 are articulatingly connected through coil arms 49 atthe centers of rotation 21 to the lay-out arms 19. Thread guidingmembers 23 are also pivotally mounted at the centers of rotation 21. Thethread guiding members 23 and the coil holder 20 are pivotable relativeto one another, while the lay-out arms 19 are turned through theirbifurcated spacing i.e., 180, about the shaft 18. This is necessary sothat the components always assume the most advantageous position withrespect to the neighboring machine parts, and the supply coil 11' canadopt the position thereof optimal to a thread braking device 51. Therelative displacement of the coil arm 49 is effected by the movement ofa cam lever 28 rotatably mounted in the layout arm 19, the cam lever 28being operatively connected through a toothed segment 29 and anintermediate gear 30 with the coil arm 49. The pivoting of the coil arm49 is controlled by the stationary cam discs 33 and 35 between which aroller 34 of the cam lever 28 is passed and, in this manner, the path ofmovement established by the cam discs 33 and 35 is transferred to thecoil arm 49. The thread guiding member 23 assumes an angle of about 90to the lay-out arm 19 about the shaft 18 during the greatest part of therotary movement of the lay-out arm 19, and, in fact, under the action ofa non-illustrated bending spring. Shortly before the supply coil 11assumes the position thereof shown in FIG. 1, a lever 52 connected tothe thread guiding member 23 runs up against a pin 53 that is fixed tothe lateral wall 1. The thread guiding member 23 is thereby pivoted sothat it assumes an optimal position relative to the thread brakingdevice 51 and simultaneously attains the required spacing from thesupply coil 11' so that a desired ballooning of the thread is achieved.As mentioned hereinbefore, the coil holder 20, during the exchange intothe made-ready position 22, initially assumes the ejection position 24shown in phantom. The position 24 is indeed advantageous for removingthe empty coil core 25, but not, however, for sticking a new supply coilonto the coil holder 22. In order to facilitate the sticking of a newsupply coil onto the coil holder 22, therefore, the coil holder 20 isswung into the made-ready position 22 and accordingly disposedhorizontally.

in the ejection position 24, the roller 34 of the cam lever 28 engagesthe inner cam disc 33. A iever 54, which engages the roller 34, isseated adjacent the cam disc 33. Through the push rod 55, the lever 54can be turned by pivoting of the lever 50 so that the lever 54 lifts theroller 34. The coil holder 20 is thereby pivoted so that it is orientedhorizontally. A pin 27, that is connected to the coil holder 20, is thenheld fast by a pawl or catch 56. When a new supply coil 11 is stuck.onto the coil holder 22 and an exchange operation occurs, the pin 27,which has a square-off ends, runs therewith along the length of a guide57, whereby the coil arm 49 swings back again so far that the roller 34engages the cam. disc 33.

At the absence of a thread in the thread braking device 51, the travlingknotting device 5 is caused to stop at the respective winding stationand to start the exchange operation for the supply coil 11'. A cam disc58 in the traveling knotter 5 is set in rotary motion and pivots the camlever 59 counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 1. Consequently, a push rod37 is forced downwardly, and a bell-crank 38 is turned counterclockwise,as viewed in FIG. 1. Due to this pivoting movement, through a rod 39, apivoting fishplate 40, a further rod 41 as well as a pawl lever 42 areactuated, the latter thereby freeing a blocking disc 43 so that it canrotate to the next stop position.

With the pivoting of the fishplate 40, a pin 60 firmly connected theretoengages the pawl or latch 61 and turns it counterclockwise, as viewed inFIG. 1. Accordingly, the nose of the pawl or latch 61 frees a controllever 62 which is pivotable clockwise through the biasing action of anon-illustrated torsion spring. Due to this movement, a control lever 63is caused to slide toward the right-hand side of FIG. 1. The end of thecontrol lever 63 then projects somewhat out of the contour of thelateral wall 1 so that the coil loading carriage 70, whenpassing by,receives the signal to become operational at the respective windingstation. With the pivoting movement of the control lever 62, a blockinglever 65 is turned so far clockwise, as a result of the operativeconnection of a rod 64 with the control lever 62, that the nose of theblocking lever 65 slides over the contour of the pivoting fishplate 40.Movement of the pivoting fishplate 40 in clockwise direction is therebyblocked. A renewed demand of the traveling knotter 5 will not lead to anintroduction of the exchange operation because the blocking lever 65blocks the movement of the pivoting fishplate 40, and the movement ofthe cam lever 59 can be absorbed by the compression spring 66. Finally,the pivoting movement of the control lever 62, through the operativeconnection thereof with a rod 67, has brought the bell-crank 68 alsointo engagement with a valve plate 69 that is subjected to a flow ofsuction air or vacuum. [t a starting end 15 of the thread of a supplycoil 11" that is to be unwound, which is located in the made-readyposition 22, is laid out at the valve plate 69 by the coil loadingcarriage 70 or by one of the montioring personnel, while the valve plate69 is pivoted and the thread starting end 15 is surrendered to an airflow, the bell-crank 68 is thus also simultaneously pivotedcounterclockwise. Accordingly, the control leverl 62 again pivots so farcounterclockwise that the pawl or latch 61 can firmly retain the controllever 62. Through the turning of the control lever] 62, the blockinglever 65 is swung into its starting position so that a new exchangeoperation at the supply coil unwinding positioning device 16 can nowtake place. In this manner, assurance is provided that the travelingknotter 5 will introduce a further exchange operation only if the threadstarting end 15 of a supply coil 11" held ready in the made-readypostion is laid out at the valve plate 69. On the other hand, the signalfor placing the coil loading carriage 70 in demand is again reset if thethread staring end 15 is laid out in readiness by the monitoringpersonnel.

From P10. 2 it is apparent how the coil loading carriage 70 can travelpast the winding stations 3. The loading carriage 70 runs with two guiderollers 71 on a support rail 72 that is fastened to the lateral wall 1.A slide rail 73 is secured to the electrically charged rail 10, the coilloading carriage 70 being guided by two additional guide rollers 74along the slide rail 73. The coil loading carriage 70 is formed ofvarious members which perform the following functions: A control vane orwing 44, at start-up, is swung so far against the projecting end of thecontrol rod 63 that a control disc 75 connected to the control vane 44actuates a switch 76. A bolt lever 77, through its operative connectionwith a pull magnet 78, can be povited clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 2, sothat the point of the bolt lever 77 clicks into a notch formed in theguide rail 73, the coil loading carriage 70 thereby being positioned atthe respective winding station 3. A remainder sensor 79 described acircular arc tangent to the outer diameter of the core 25 about a centerof rotation 80. A thrust magnet 81 pivots the remainder sensor 70. 1fthe armature 82 of the thrust magent 81 can carry out a complete stroke,a strap 83 secured to the armature 82 actuates a switch 84. This is asignal that the coil core 25 is unwound and must be exchanged. 1f thethrust magent 81, on the other band, should not be able to effect itscomplete stroke because the remainder sensor 79 is held fast by a threadwinding on the core 25, the switch 84 is then not actuated. A pressureleverl 85 is applied to the pin 27 of the coil holder 20 when thepressure lever 85 is pivoted counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 2. Asthe pressure leverl 85 is further pivoted, the pin 27 is displacedaxially arid the clamping action of the coil holder 20 is terminated.The core 25 can then slip off the coil holder 20. The pressure leverl 85is actuated through a rod 86 which is articuiatingly connected to a camlever 87 that is controlled by a cam disc 89 through a cam roller 88,the cam disc 89 being, in turn, secured on a shaft 90.

All of the control cams required for controlling the supply coilexchange operation are mounted on the shaft 90. This control group isreferred to hereinafter as Automatic Means B. The control of thosemembers that are necessary for pivoting the coil holder 20 into themade-ready position 22 and for seeking and laying out in readiness thethread starting end is effected by a control group referred tohereinafter as Automatic Means A. This subdivision is necessary so thattwo different control programs can be carried out, as the case may be,if a new supply coil 11 must be made ready for an empty core 25 or ifonly the coil holder must be pivoted when an incompletely unwound supplycoil has been brought into the ejection position 24 and only the threadstarting end 15 must be newly laid out in readiness.

The coil loading carriage 70 is provided with a conveyer system formedessentially of an elevator 91 which functions to remove a supply coil 11from the book 12 of the transport or conveyor device 7 and lower it tothe level of the horizontally disposed coil holder 20, at which thesupply coil 11 can be slipped onto the coil holder 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, two chain members 92 travel over reversing rollers93 and 94. A console 95 is fastened to a respective run of each of thechain members 92, the console 95 in turn carrying a conventionaltelescopic guide 96 such as is used, for example, in office furniture,such as file cabinets, in order to be able to pull out drawers as far aspossible. A receiving member formed of a sliding trough 100, whichreceives a supply coil 11, is connected to the telescopic guide 96.Terminal switches 97, 98 and 99 are actuated by a cam fastened to theconsole 95 just as the cam 95' passes by the respective switches 97, 98and 99. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the elevator 91 is shown in a position whichguarantees a predetermined level for the sliding trough 100 when theterminal switch 98 is switched off, and which permits the shiftingthereof toward the left-hand side of FIG. 2 without striking a supplycoil 11 that is being carried past by the transport or conveyer device7. The shifting movement is effected by a push rod 101 clearly shown inFIG. 2. As the elevator 91 travels upwardly, an eye 102 secured to thesliding trough 100 slips over the bent part of the push rod 101 andforms a connection therewith. The push rod 101 is controlled by a camlever 101' through a cam roller 103 ofa cam disc 104. The cam disc 104is mounted on the shaft 90 and forms part of the Automatic means B. Aconventional photo electric means then gives a signal when a supply coil11 is located precisely above the driven-out sliding trough 100. Inorder for this signal to be produced, the hooks 12 of the transport orconveyer device 7 have tiltable reflection platelets 106 at the endsthereof, which refleet the light emitted from the light box only when asupply coil 11 is stuck onto the hooks 12. If the signal occurs, thesliding trough 100 can be be driven upwardly until the terminal switch97 is switched on. The supply coil 11 is then received by the slidingtrough 100 and can thereafter be removed from the hook 12 by alongitudinal movement of the push rod 101. The elevator 91 then drivesthe sliding trough 100 down so far that the switch 99 is actuated. Thesliding trough 100 holds the supply coil 11 then so that the middlepoint thereof coincides with the longitudinal axis of the coil holder20. As the sliding trough 100 has traveled downwardly, the eye 102 hasslipped over the hook of the push rod 107. By means of the push rod 107,and due to the action of the cam disc 108, the cam roller 109 and thecam lever 110, the sliding trough 100 is displaced toward the left-handside of FIG. 2 and the supply coil 11 is stuck onto the coil holder 20.The previously described coil holder 20 is, moreover, made so that asupply coil through central pressure is able to be slipped onto the coilholder 20 without having to release the clamping. When a supply coil hasbeen fully slid onto the coil holder 20, the clamping is againeffective, and the sliding trough 100 can be withdrawn by means of thepush rod 107 without also taking the supply coil back therewith.

Before a supply coil 11 is stuck onto a coil holder 20, the latter mustbe brought into horizontal position. As described hereinbefore, this iseffected through pivoting the lever 50 counterclockwise. Thebullet-shaped end of the push rod 111 engages, for this purpose, in acollet of the lever 50. Shifting of the push rod 111 toward theleft-hand side, as viewed in FIG. 2 is effected by the action of the camdisc 112 through the cam roller 113 and the cam lever 114. The cam disc112 is secured on the shaft 115 and forms part of the Automatic Means A.The division of all of the cam discs into both Automatic Means A and Bis especially clearly apparent in FIG. 4.

The thread starting end 15 of a made-ready supply coil 11 is sought outby placing the supply coil 11" in rotation and a suction nozzle 116 isslid so close to the periphery of the supply coil 11" that the suctionair flow seizes the thread end. It is recognizable in FIG. 3

that the suction nozzle 116, in an advantageous manner, is assemblabletogether with a drive roller 117, a drive motor 118 and an intermediatetransmission 119 into a readying device 48. The suction nozzle 116 canbe swung so far downwardly about the axis 120 thereof until the driveroller 117 engages the periphery of a supply coil 11".

[t is clear from FIG. 4 that a lever 121 is connected to the suctionnozzle axis 120. The cam disc 125 can control the lowering and liftingof the suction nozzle 116 through the rod 122, the cam lever 123 and thecam roller 124. The cam disc 125 is securely mounted on the shaft 115and forms part of the Automatic Means A.

One can tell from FIGS. 2 and 4 that the required suction air isproduced by a blower or fan 132 which is driven by a motor 133 through adrive belt 134. Dust and thread remainders are collected in a filter box135. At a suitable location between the suction nozzle mouth 116' andthe suction nozzle axis 120, the suction nozzle 116 is provided with aconventional nonillustrated photo electric means which emits a signalwhen the thread to which suction has been applied has been sufficientlyunwound and sucked in. The moment this condition is reached, the drivingmovement for the suply coil can be turned off. The thread starting endof a supply coil 11" that is seized by the suction nozzle 116 is drawnor pulled from a thread lifter 126 to the valve plate 69. As shown inFIG. 2, the thread lifter 126 is rotatably mounted in a bearing bracket127. The thread lifter 126 is controlled by a cam disc 131 through apush rod 128, a cam lever 129 and a cam roller. The cam disc 131 isconnected to the shaft 115. The center of rotation of the thread lifter126 in the bearing bracket 127 is selected so that the circular arcdescribed by the thread lifter 126 is tangent to the surface of thevalve plate 69 and intersects the pin 36 thereon. Thereby, the valveplate 69 is pivoted away, a suction opening for the thread is exposedand also the bell crank 68 is pivoted. On its path to the valve plate69, the thread lifter 126 seizes the thread running from the supply coil11" to the suction nozzle mouth 116' and draws it as a loop to the valveplate 69. Inasmuch as only a specific thread length is sucked into thesuction nozzle 116, the end of the thread is free when the thread lifter126 opens the valve plate 69, and then be readily subjected to suction.

It is furthermore apparent from FIG. 4, that an electromagnetic clutchor coupling 136 is securely mounted on the shaft 115 of the AutomaticMeans A, and an electromagnetic clutch or coupling 137 is securelymounted on the shaft 90 of the Automatic Means B. Chain wheels orsprockets 138 and 139 are threadedly secured to the two electromagneticclutches or couplings 136 and 137 and, through a drive chain 32, areconnected to one another. The drive chain 32 is driven by thetransmission motor 140. By means of both electromagnetic clutches 136and 137, the Automatic Means A or B can be switched on, depending uponthe respective course of programming. The cam disc 141 on the shaft 115actuates the shut-off switch 142 which switches off the Automatic MeansA at specific instants of time. Furthermore, the cam discs 143, 144 and145, which actuate the switches 146, 147 and 148 are securely mounted onthe shaft 90. The switch 146 shuts off the Automatic Means B at specificinstants of time. The switch 147 switches on the elevator 91, and theswitch 148 switches on the Automatic Means A. The transmission motor 149drives the elevator 91 through the chain sprockets 31 and the chain 45.The transmission 150 serves to drive the travel mecha nism of the coilsupply carriage 70.

If an empty coil core 25 is stuck onto the coil holder 20 in theejection position, as is seen in the displacement diagram of FIG. 5, thecourse of movement or displacement at the coil loading carriage is asfolows: The instant the coil loading carriage 70 has reached arespective winding station, the switch vane or wing 44 is pivoted whenbrought into engagement with the switch rod 63, and the switch 76 isactuated. Consequently, the transmission 150 for the travel mechanism ofthe loading carriage 70 is switched off and the transmission motor 140for the drive of the Automatic Means A and B as well as the motor 133for the blower or fan 132 is switched on. Simultaneously, the pullmagnet 78 is electrically energized so that the latch or bolt lever 77is receivable in a notch formed in the guide rail 73. Wlth slight delay,the push magnet 81 is also electrically energized so that the remaindersensor 79 is pivoted. Since the core 25 on the coil holder 20 is empty,the push magnet 81 can then perform the complete stroke thereof andactuates the switch 84. The electromagnetic clutch 137 of the AutomaticMeans B is thereby switched on, and the shaft starts to run. Then, thepressure lever 85 for loosening the clamping action of the coil holder20 pivots, and the empty coil core 25 falls onto a conveyor belt 46.Simultaneously, the push rod 101 pushes the sliding trough so far thatit is located beneath the conveyor or transport device 7. Thereafter,the Automatic Means B is again switched off by the switch 146. A waitingperiod for the Automatic Means B then occurs until a signal is emittedfrom the photo electric means which indicates that a supply coil 11 islocated exactly above the sliding trough 100. With this signal, theelevator 91 is also switched on and therewith travels so high that theterminal switch 97 can be actuated. Moreover, the Automatic Means Bagain starts to run so that then the push rod 101 can withdraw thesliding trough 100 with the supply coil 11 received therein.Simultaneously, the pressure lever 85 is swung back. In the interim, theswitch 148 has become actuated so that the electromagnetic clutch 136has also been electrically energized and the Automatic Means A starts torun. The push rod 11 then presses against the lever 50 so that the coilarm 49 is pivoted and the coil holder 20 is brought into horizontalposition. After the push rod 101 has completely withdrawn the slidingtrough 100, the elevator 91 is switched on and the sliding trough 100 islowered such a distance that it actuates the terminal switch 98.Meanwhile, the Automatic Means A is switched off for a predeterminedwaiting period by the shut-off switch 142. The lowered sliding trough100 becomes couples with the push rod 107 and is pushed by the latteragainst the coil holder 20. When the supply coil 11 is stuck onto thecoil holder 20, the Automatic Means A is again switched on through theswitch 148. The push rod 111 is withdrawn and, simultaneously, thesuction nozzle 116 is lowered. The withdrawal of the sliding trough 100through the Automatic Means B is superimposed timewise on thejust-mentioned movements of the Automatic Means A. [f the push rod 111has reached its end position, the Automatic Means A is switched off anewfor a waiting period by the shut-off switch 142. This switching-offpulse is employed for switching on the drive motor Us for the driveroller 117 at the suction nozzle 116. The supply coil 11" that has beenstuck onto the coil holder 20 then turns, and the thread starting end isthen subjected to suction. In the interim, the switch 147 is actuated bythe Automatic Means B, and the elevator 91 again runs upwardly until theterminal switch 97 is switched on. The cam disc packet of the AutomaticMeans B performs the remainder of the total rotation and is then finallyswitched off by the swtich 146. When the suction nozzle 116 has suckedin the thread starting end far enough, a photo electric means emits asignal, as mentioned hereinbefore. The rotary motion for the supply coilthat had been carried out by the motor 118 is thereby shut off, and theAutomatic Means A again starts to run. Thereafter, the suction nozzle116 lifted off or withdrawn, and the thread lifter 126 swings by beneaththe suction nozzle mouth 116', seizes the sucked-in thread and draws itas a loop toward the valve plate 69. At the end of its swing, the threadlifter 126 strikes against the pin 36 of the valve plate 69 and opensthe latter. The thread is then completely withdrawn from the suctionnozzle 116 and is seized by the suction air flow at the valve plate 69and sucked in through the swing of the valve plate 69, the bell crank 68is pivoted with the control lever 62 counterclockwise, and the controlrod 63 is withdrawn. The thread lifter 126 then also swings back, andthe Automatic Means A is finally switched off. Also, the blower or fan132 as well as the transmission motor 140 are switched off. On the otherhand, the transmission 150 is switched on so that the coil loadingcarriage 70 can resume its travel past the individual winding stations.

[fa partially wound coil core 25 is located on the coil holder in theejection position 24, the following course of movements occur:Initially, the operations are the same as for an empty core 25. When thepush magnet 81 is electrically energized, it cannot completely swing theremainder sensor 79, however, because the point of the remainder sensor79 strikes the thread winding. The switch 84 is thereby also notactuated. The condition is evaluated or analyzed in the electricalcircuit so that the electromagnetic clutch 136 of the Automatic Means Ais subjected to a voltage i.e., electrically energized, and the shaft115 is engaged or coupled by the clutch. The push rod 1 l l pushesagainst the lever 50 so that the coil arm 49 pivots, and the coil holder20 is again disposed horizontally. The first waiting period of theAutomatic Means A as shown in the displacement or motion diagram of FIG.5 then occurs, the push rod 111 is immediately withdrawn and the suctionnozzle 116 lowered. Thereafter, the motions with respect to theAutomatic Means A run their course as herein aforedescribed. When thesuction nozzle 116 has been lowered, the Automatic Means A is switchedoff and the drive for the supply coil 11 is switched on. If the threadhas been sucked in far enough, the signal of the aforedescribedphotoelectric means again switches off the drive of the supply coil andagain switches on the Automatic Means A. The suction nozzle 116 thenlifts up, and the thread lifter 126 draws the thread to the valve plate69. The control rod 63 is then withdrawn and the thread is subjected tosuction. When the thread lifter 126 is again swung back, the AutomaticMeans A, the blower or fan 132 and the transmission motor 140 areswitched off, and

the transmission [50 for the travel mechanism of the loading carriage isagain switched on.

It is apparent from the displacement or motion diagram of FIG. 5 thatseeking and laying-out or readying a thread starting end of a supplycoil that has been swung into made-ready position, only two-thirds ofthe time required for exchanging an empty core with a new full supplycoil is necessary. This advantage permits a multiplicity of windingstations to be serviceable by a single coil loading carriage 70.

Obviously, under specific operating conditions, it can be sensible tocontrol the loading carriage so that it only carries out a programexchange empty cores with full supply coils. If, in such a case, asupply coil that has not been completely unwound is found in ejectionposition, then the loading carriage, after having sensed this partiallywound coil, will continue traveling without doing anything further.Thereafter, monitoring personnel can manually swing the partially woundsupply coil upwardly and lay out the thread starting end 15 at the valveplate 69.

I claim:

1. In an automatic winding machine for large-volume supply coils havinga plurality of winding stations, each of said stations having means forunwinding the supply coils, a transporting device located a distanceaway from said unwinding means and positioned relative to said windingstations to deliever said coils to respective winding stations of themachine, a coil loading carriage drivable past the unwinding means, saidcoil loading carriage comprising conveyor means movable alternativelyinto respective positions adjacent said unwinding means and saidtransporting device and transferring the coils to the coil unwindingmeans of the respective stations, said coil unwinding means havingmake-ready means for readying supply coils to immediately continue theunwinding operation.

2. Automatic winding machine according to claim 1 wherein said conveyormeans comprise a receiving member for directly receiving the supplycoils from the transporting device.

3. Automatic winding machine according to claim 2 wherein said receivingmember is a sliding trough.

4. Automatic winding machine according to claim I wherein saidmake-ready means has means for operating upon a supply coil located in apredetermined position in the coil unwinding means of the respectivewinding stations.

5. Automatic winding machine according to claim 1 wherein the coilunwinding means of the respective winding stations have means forholding in ejection position a supply coil that has been at .leastpartially unwound by the coil unwinding means, said loading carriagehaving remainder sensing means for determining the winding condition ofthe supply coil in the ejection position of the respective coilunwinding means.

6. Automatic winding machine according to claim 1 wherein the coilunwinding means of the respective winding stations has means for holdingin made-ready position a supply coil that is ready to be unwound by thecoil unwinding means, said loading carriage having suction nozzle meansfor seeking the starting end of the thread carried by the supply coilthat is located in the made-ready position of the respective coilunwinding means.

7. Automatic winding machine according to claim 6 each said windingstation including means for mounting ating said coil holder means toeject empty coil cores remaining after the respective supply coils havebeen unwound.

9. Automatic winding machine according to claim 1 wherein said loadingcarriage has photo electric means for determining the presence of asupply coil to be transferred by the loading carriage from thetransporting device to the coil unwinding means of the respectivewinding station.

1. In an automatic winding machine for large-volume supply coils havinga plurality of winding stations, each of said stations having means forunwinding the supply coils, a transporting device located a distanceaway from said unwinding means and positioned relative to said windingstations to deliever said coils to respective winding stations of themachine, a coil loading carriage drivable past the unwinding means, saidcoil loading carriage comprising conveyor means movable alternativelyinto respective positions adjacent said unwinding means and saidtransporting device and transferring the coils to the coil unwindingmeans of the respective stations, said coil unwinding means havingmake-ready means for readying supply coils to immediately continue theunwinding operation.
 2. Automatic winding machine according to claim 1wherein said conveyor means comprise a receiving member for directlyreceiving the supply coils from the transporting device.
 3. Automaticwinding machine according to claim 2 wherein said receiving member is asliding trough.
 4. Automatic winding machine according to claim 1wherein said make-ready means has means for operating upon a supply coillocated in a predetermined position in the coil unwinding means of therespective winding stations.
 5. Automatic winding machine according toclaim 1 wherein the coil unwinding means of the respective windingstations have means for holding in ejection position a supply coil thathas been at least partially unwound by the coil unwinding means, saidloading carriage having remainder sensing means for determining thewinding condition of the supply coil in the ejection position of therespective coil unwinding means.
 6. Automatic winding machine accordingto claim 1 wherein the coil unwinding means of the respective windingstations has means for holding in made-ready position a supply coil thatis ready to be unwound by the coil unwinding means, said loadingcarriage having suction nozzle means for seeking the starting end of thethread carried by the supply coil that is located in the made-readyposition of the respective coil unwinding means.
 7. Automatic windingmachine according to claim 6 each said winding station including meansfor mounting a take-up coil whereon thread unwound from the supply coilsis wound, said loading carriage including thread lifting means forlaying out the thread starting end of the supply coil in the made-readyposition so that the thread starting end of the supply coil can be tiedto the thread end of the take-up coil.
 8. Automatic winding machineaccording to claim 1 wherein the coil unwinding means of the respectivewinding stations have coil holder means for receiving respective supplycoils thereon, said loading carriage having pressure lever means mountedthereon for actuating said coil holder means to eject empty coil coresremaining after the respective supply coils have been unwound. 9.Automatic winding machine according to claim 1 wherein said loadingcarriage has photo electric means for determining the presence of asupply coil to be transferred by the loading carriage from thetransporting device to the coil unwinding means of the respectivewinding station.